Apparatus for reducing the ends of tubes.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1904.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES No. 810,241. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

M. WIKSTROM.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE ENDS 0F TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10 1904.

' SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR W was.

rinrrrin sra'rns PATENT OFFIOE.

MALCOLM WTKSTROM, OF SHELBY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO SHELBY STEEL TUBECOMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, CORPORATION OF N EW JERS EY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Jan. 16,1906.

Application filed September'lO, 1904. Serial No. 223,966.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOL Wiics'rnoii, of Shelby, Richland county,Ohio, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Beducing the Ends ofTubes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionreference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 shows in front elevation diesconstructed in accordance with my invention, these dies being in theirfully-opened position and the tube to be reduced having been insertedtherein. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the second'stage' of theoperation, in which the dies have moved together sufficiently to flattenthe tube to an oval'for'm and to cause it to fill the cavity of thedies, but without changing the length of the circumference of the tube.Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the final position of the die. Fig. 4:shows, on a smaller scale, a position of the dies intermediate betweenFigs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a erspectivle view of the dies when open, and

ig. 6- is a perspectiveview of the reduced tube.

In the operation of cold-drawing seamless tubes it is necessary toreduce, or point, as it is generally termed, one end of each tube thatis to say, to reduce its diameter so that it can be pushed far enoughthrough thedie through which it is to be drawn toallow the tongs to gripit. Heretofore it has been the practice to reduce the tubes either byswaging mechanism and toggle-joint machines or by the use of hammersprovided with halfround or V-sha ed dies or by the use of swaging-rolls.4 ach of these modes of 0 eration has certain disadvantages, and al ofthem are slow, requiring several blows of the dies or hammer andturnings of the tube before the swaging can be finished, and it is alsodifficult to perform the operation so as to make the reduced end of thetube concentric with the tube-body.

The purpose of my invention is to provide means y which the pointing ofthe tube can, if desired, be accomplished at a single operation of thedies and symmetrical and concentric points he produced withoutdifficulty.

The operation is performed with'such regularity as to reduce the waste.of the tube to a In the drawings, 2 3 are the parts of the die. They aremade so as to work together, each being preferably formed with a seriesof comb-like projections 4 for interfitting with and sliding uponsimilar projections on the other die.

When the dies are at full open position, (shown at Fig. 1,) they afforda middle recess with angular top and bottom surfaces 5, adapted toengage the circumference of the tube 6, which is tobe reduced. The tube6 is placed in the dies when in this position, and the parts of the diesare then brought to.- gether, either by strong pressure applied with ahydraulic press or otherwise or by means of the blow of a hammer. Thefirst part of the approach of the dies causes the inclined surfaces 5 5to act upon the tube at diametrically oppositepoints and to flatten-itinto the form shown in Fig. 2. This'is done without reducing thecircumference of the tube,

which when in this shape will approximately fill the die-cavity and willbe, of substantially elliptical form in cross-section. During thefurther approach of the dies into the position shown in Fig. 3, thetubebeing held by the flat portions of thedie-cavity at opposite sidesand being subjected to compression at the ends by the approaching dies,its sides will fold in toward each other into the final shape.

(Shown in Fig. 3.) The operation thus comprises an initial contractionof the diecavity on opposite sides, so as to flatten the tube, and thena compression of the tube on the other sides by whichit is folded in onthe The end'thus made Will flattened surfaces. be perfectly concentricwith the tube, and being made by the dies and always of the same lengththe waste can be reduced .to a minicomprising dies adapted to hold thetube in flattened condition at opposite sides, and

when so held to subject it to compression at the other sides at op ositepoints to cause the non-flattened sides to approach each other;substantially as described. 2. Apparatus for reducing the ends of tubes,comprising dies having an initial cavity for the end portion of thetube, acting portions which first flatten the tube in said cavity, andother acting portions which sub'se uently compress the non-flattenedsides of t e flattened tube at right angles to the direction in which itwas flattened, to force said sides to Ward each other and thereby causethem to fold inwardly {substantially as described.

,3. Apparatus for reducing the ends of tubes,

comprising dies having a plurality of interfitting slots and rejectionsrecessed to form an initial cavity or the tube, and having actingportions which first flatten the tube to general oval form withoutmaterially changing the length of its circumference, and subsequentlycompressing the non-flattened sides of the tube toward each other{substantially as described. 7

4. The combination of die parts 'formed with interfitted comb-likeprojections having an initial cavity adapted to compress and flatten thetube in one direction and when more fully closed. to compress the tubeat right angles thereto; substantiallyas described.

5. The/combination of'interfitting die parts having when fully openedmiddle inclined surfaces 5 which flatten the tube, and end portions 6adapted to compress the non-flattened sides of the tube after it hasbeen flattened by the surfaces 5; substantially as described. p

6. In apparatus for reducing the ends of tubes,-dies having surfaceswhich first flatten the tube, and other surfaces which subsequentlycompress 'the non-flattened sides toward each other to therewith causeopposite portions of the flattened sides to fold inwardl toward eachother; substantially as described? In testimony whereof I have hereuntovset my hand.

MALCOLM WIKSTROM. Witnesses:

B. F. LONG,

.SADIE BUCK.

